Forum Thread of the Day: “Easiest blades to hit?”

Today’s Forum Thread of the Day comes from Stonewalled, who asks fellow GolfWRX members what they consider to be the easiest to hit blades. A whole host of different irons, old and new, get a mention, with our members also providing the reasoning behind their choices.

Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the discussion and have your say at the link below.

aussieb: “Original Callaway X-Prototype is by far the easiest to hit, and they get a run when I’m searching for my game. Really can’t fault the ’18 MBs currently in my bag either. Had the S55s but they aren’t really a blade. The 690s I had were very dense feeling for a Titleist, almost Miura like.”

Fellaheen51: ” ‘Easiest to hit’ is entirely subjective in threads like this. WTS, I’ll add my suggestion. The irons that proved to me that I could effectively play MB blades. Periodically, when the swing is decent. That blades are not as difficult to play as they’re made out to be. That they contain a certain “purity of essence”. Then again, I’m not trying to hit an MB from 190 yards out. I know my limitations. With the right shaft, from appropriate distances, have not found anything quite like them. ’99 Hogan Apex MB’s.”

NRJyzr: “My Mizuno MS-11s rank way up there, they’ve surprised me a few times. They also have a fair amount of bounce, 5* in the 3 iron to 6* in the 9 iron. MP-14s have a very low CG and would be great for those whose contact patterns could benefit from such. I’ve always thought the Ram Tour Grinds were moderately good in this regard, one reason I’ve kept using them. The granddaddy of the blades I’ve hit might be the old Palmer Standards. Remember toe-hitting a 4 iron one day from 4 iron distance, and was shocked to find my ball past pin high. They’re a little sharp on the leading edge, though. LOL. “

How much would you be willing to pay for a Scotty Cameron putter personally used by Tiger Woods? Well, for someone out there the answer was just short of $23k.

As Golf.com’s Jonathan Wall first reported this week, the putter in question is the Scotty Cameron Newport Teryllium TeI3, and although it didn’t play a role in 13 of Woods’ 14 major victories, it is a putter associated with his very first Masters triumph back in 1997.

The putter sold via Green Jacket Auctions, and according to their description, the flat-stick was not just used by Woods, but it was the prototype version of the Newport TeI3 which he used on his way to dominating Augusta National for his first major victory.

Per the report, this particular putter has a teryllium insert which features 32 vibration-dampening dots that sought to soften the feel of the putter and offset the five screws that were used in the back cavity during the milling process.

As the description on Green Jacket Auctions states, Callaway’s director of fitting and instruction, Randy Peterson was the recipient of the putter before the 1997 golf season, and the flat-stick has “Tiger” stamped in dancing letters on the toe, while “Proto” and “XXX” are stamped on the back bumpers. The last five digits of the Certificate of Authenticity from Cameron (84437) also spells out “Tiger” on the phone keypad.

While $22,784.40 may seem like an inordinate amount to pay for a putter, there is reason to believe that the new owner of the Scotty Cameron Newport Teryllium TeI3 may have got themselves an excellent deal. Two previous Tiger Woods Newport 2 GSS backups (the same model he used on his way to winning 13 of his 14 majors) have been sold via Green Jacket Auctions in the past three years, for totals of $53,146 and $44,401, and comparing this Scotty Cameron putter to those previous models, the auction company states

“With all due respect to those fine putters, perhaps no privately owned Tiger Woods putter holds a candle to the collecting appeal of this specimen.”

Wilson Staff has been making waves recently with a lot of high profile activity including the signing of Gary Woodland and the new Staff blade iron prototypes he has in the bag. It appears that the R&D team at Wilson has just gotten started for 2019, considering another new prototype driving iron has popped up thanks to Brendan Steele posting some very nice pictures on his Twitter and Instagram.

We don’t have a ton of information except for the caption from Brendan’s own post

“Check out this sweet new toy! @wilsongolf was awesome enough to let me create a new prototype driving iron and it couldn’t have turned out better!”

It has some similarities to the previous V4 Driving Iron from Wilson by the looks of both the screw and the knurling around the hosel

but the cosmetics and certainly more inline with the new Staff Blades pictured below along with also appearing to have a shorter heel to toe length and a higher overall toe profile:

Whether or not this new driving iron will show up at retail like the Staff blades, it is definitely something to keep an eye out for.

WRX Spotlight: Nikon Coolshot Pro Stabilized laser rangefinder

Pitch: From Nikon: “This state-of-the art golfing laser rangefinder packs the stability of the Coolshot 80’s vibration reduction into an even more streamlined body. The red Oled internal display’s automatic brightness adjustment makes viewing easy in any light, while Hyper Read measurement response time is a speedy 0.3 seconds (approximately) over a range of 7.5-1,090 m. Locked On technology quickly defines overlapping subjects so you’ll be sure of an accurate reading to the flagstick, plus ID Technology gives a guide distance for uphill and downhill courses.”

Our take on the Nikon Coolshot Pro Stabilized laser rangefinder

Nikon has packed the Coolshot Pro Stabilized full of innovative features with a hugely beneficial streamlined profile. But we’ll get around to that a little later, as at the core of this laser rangefinder is its Stabilized Technology.

Whether it’s the conditions, or an inability to keep your hand perfectly steady when shooting your target, the issue of vibration is usually the main problem when it comes to rangefinders. However, with Nikon’s Stabilized Technology, that vibration is reduced by approximately 80 percent. The steadiness of the rangefinder may need to be seen to be believed, but with the Coolshot Pro Stabilized, any issues golfers have with taking a steady shot of their target can expect them to vanish with this rangefinder. More accurate results and likely speedier rounds (yay), what’s not to love?

This lessening of the vibration works in conjunction with Locked On technology, and it’s a powerful combination that creates a premium rangefinder. The Locked On technology in the Coolshot Pro Stabilized allows golfers to home in on their target, without the fear of the rangefinder locking onto the wrong target in the background. A small green circle frames your desired target, making sure that it is giving you the correct distance for your shot, and it’s not only extremely accurate but quick too. The Hyper Read Tech allows users to find the distance they want according to the company in “0.3 seconds – regardless of distance.” A claim that is difficult to dispute.

Another great feature of the Coolshot Pro Stabilized is its ID Technology. This technology takes care of all the incline, slope etc. The rangefinder from Nikon accurately reads the yardage taking into account the downhill or uphill nature of the pin, while the product also lets other competitors know when the ID Technology is off. If you’re competing in an event, a green flashing light indicates that the ID Technology is turned off, making it clear that actual distance is what you’re measuring, and that you’re abiding by all the rules.

Now let’s get down to the size, which makes all of the features we’ve talked about even more impressive. As you can see from our in-hand photos, the Coolshot Pro Stabilized is tiny and weighs just 180g. The advantages of having a small rangefinder are obvious as it can be carried or kept in even the smallest pocket of your bag easily, and the Coolshot Pro Stabilized is also both waterproof and nitrogen-purged to make it fog-proof. The range finder also features six different brightness levels and comes with a sweet 5-year warranty.

At around $450 the Coolshot Pro Stabilized is high-end and not cheap. But with the impressive features and high performance, it’s a product which combined with Nikon’s 5-year warranty justifies that price-tag. If you’re looking for a top-shelf rangefinder, then the Coolshot Pro Stabilized is very unlikely to disappoint.